nuno1959

[color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]Hi guys[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]just dropping a line to say that after LOTS of reading, searching, etc….i ended up buying the SPL Crimson[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3] [/size][/font][/color][color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]It sits on my desk as we speak & is VERY unobtrusive despite being quite big & i LOVE it's form factor plus the fact it is Class Compliant, meaning no drivers to install to get it to ''play nice'' w/ my iMac !! [/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]One thing though :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]I don't know exactly how to describe this but i find my Cambridge Audio DacMagic was ''more musical'' than the Crimson just playing music from my iTunes library - or could this be just a more ''revealing nature'' as in more unforgiving of not so perfectly recorded albums ?[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]The sound is DEFINITELY fuller than the DacMagic, bass having plenty more weight & ''body'' but very controlled, not all over the place however the DacMagic made everything sound…..''musical'' is the only word that occurs to me to describe it…[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]Comparing it to my FiiO headphone amp, it just wipes the floor w/ the FiiO : despite the FiiO's generous power & nice, musical sound, the Crimson is steps above it in everything - power, detail, finesse, no treble harshness, full bodied & controlled bass - real nice !! My [url="http://www.gearslutz.com/board/sennheiser/hd215-g1752/"]Sennheiser HD215[/url] sound GREAT through it & NOT fatiguing at all...[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]All in all, i'm pretty happy & can't wait to start recording, i'm SURE it WILL BE MUCH, MUCH BETTER than my Zoom B3 interface… ;-)[/size][/font][/color]

Hi guys Thanks to all for adding to this In the meantime on other Forums where i have posted this same question ( Gearslutz among others.. ) various people have brought to my attention a machine i had never even heard off before but according to them & all the reviews i've read so far seems to be becoming my favourite : the SPL Crimson To be honest, a friend of mine has the Duet2, nothing to complain about it soundwise BUT…it has a few features that are kind of annoying to me & given it0s price, one is already SO CLOSE to units like the Apollo Solo for example Choices, choices - so many toys, so little money & SO LITTLE TIME !!…LOL... Anyway, regardless what i buy, i'll make sure i'll post back my findings Cheers guys

Hey Ambient Just heard your piece, it's NICE, really nice !! Congratulations Mine is rather banal by comparison…. ;-)

Hi Ambient Thanks for chipping in, appreciated ! I HAVE looked at the Scarlett range & yes it would be very inexpensive since i don't need more than a couple of inputs max. One thing that interests me particularly is do you know if the Scarlett 2i2 can drive my Sennheisers HD215 with some ''OOOOMMPH'' ? You don't happen to have a clip of the Chapman stick recordings do you ? Here's one of mine, enjoy : http://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-19836.php Cheers

Hi Paul 5 I've looked up the ''Thunderbolt road'' & didn't REALLY find much except a bunch of FW interfaces which CAN be plugged into the Thunderbolt ports via an adapter - all in all a bit dismaying to be honest... Mind you, don't get me wrong - all i have works nicely & VERY stable ( NEVER had a single issue.. ) but since i got a refund for the FiiO & have a buyer for the DacMagic.. I am looking at the RME website as we speak though… ;-)

@Dad3353 Thanks but i'm looking for an upgrade on what i have at the moment & those seem to me as ''entry level'' gear if that's the correct term, As for the Focusrite, i'll definitely have a look at those, thanks ! ;-) @Lowdown I was kidding when i mentioned USB3 - i'm SURE the RME is a stunning piece of machinery but a ''LITTLE BIT'' out of my budget !!…LOL…having said that i will have a look at their range The problem is there are SO MANY interfaces out there & i was hoping for personal experiences with brand A, B or C, preferably when working w/ Macs So far & partly thanks to this approach of mine AND the people in the forums i subscribe to, i've been able to dodge the awful bullet of buying something just to spend endless time troubleshooting this, that or the other or googling tons of pages to sift through & so on - something which p****s me off like nobody's business in the computer world regardless which way i end up going i'll make sure i'll post back my findings, maybe it helps somebody else cheers guys

Hi Dad3353 Thanks for your input & trust me, i know EXACTLY how you feel : i BARELY make any sense of it myself !! As much as ''Plug'n Play'' is thrown left, right & centre as the IN THING these days, fact is we're still a LONG WAY AWAY from it when it comes to anything computer audio related ;-) Why can't it all be just like a piece of Hi-Fi equipment which is enough to plug it into one another & PRESTO !? I can't help feel the day the industry produces such ''peripherals'' for lack of a better word, they'll sell gazillions more... In the meantime here we are, TRYING to make sense of it… ;-)

OH guys, have a heart ! just tell me then where can i buy ''my pwecious'' ( USB3 preferably.. ) !! I'm sure it could do away with ALL my boxes & then some You cheeky buggers ;-) ...LOL…..

Sorry but…i'm afraid i don't quite get it !? english is NOT my native language.. In case i didn't explain myself properly : One interface that can be a DAC between iMac & Roksan amp ( when i listen to iTunes music or recorded stuff in GB.. ) a headphone amp AND an audio interface when i need to ''input'' my bass to record it

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Hi guys[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Let me apologise if this is not the correct forum to post this but…here's hoping someone might have some good advice ? Thank you… ;-)[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i currently have a 27'' iMac 2013 connected to a Cambridge Audio DacMagic via optical + a FiiO Qogir E09 headphone amp, the lot then plugged into my Roksan Kandy K2 amp/B&W floorstanding speakers - this is mainly used either playing back music from iTunes or GarageBand after i recorded something[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]On the other hand when i record my bass or guitars to GarageBand, i use my Zoom B3 which besides being an effects box is also a USB audio interface[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]The whole thing sounds rather nice to be honest but, since my FiiO has developed a flaw & Amazon is refunding my purchase + i have someone who would buy my DacMagic for a reasonable price, it would be a golden opportunity to upgrade all these bits & bobs AND reduce the number of cables & wall warts at the same time, without spending a gazillion £,$ or € & preferably while getting a better audio quality at the same time[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]The Interfaces i'm considering as replacements are :[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]1 - Apogee Duet 2[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]2 - TC Electronic Impact Twin[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]3 - Lexicon iOnix 42[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- Portability IS NOT san issue - it will all stay put at home[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- Good, powerful headphone amp IS important - the headphones i use are Sennheiser HD215 [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- As a replacement for my Zoom B3 effects i have a TC Electronic Nova System which despite being aimed at guitars, i have tweaked to provide REALLY GOOD quality effects for my active basses - both Spector ReBops in 4 & 5 string[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- Driverless/Class Compliant (?..) would be best ? Second best would be Driver's quality/stability [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Any help/suggestions would be MOST welcome & if it's class compliant even better !?[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Thanks in advance for your patience[/font][/color]

[color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Hi guys[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i'm afraid i don't even know how to title this right but hope i'll succeed to explain myself in the text below :[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i have an iMac 27'' which, among other things, i use to record stuff in GarageBand & as i become a bit better at it, will go into Logic X…[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]then i have a Zoom B3 which besides being a very nifty effects unit, also works as a USB interface to input my bass/guitar/other into my recording software & it couldn't be any easier to operate + it comes w/ this very basic yet very useful patch editor[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]recently i bought a TC Electronic Nova System 'cause i fell in love with it's Choruses, Reverbs, Delays, etc….sonically it's definitely in another league when compared to my Zoom B3 ! HOWEVER…..it NEVER even occurred to me it couldn't be connected via USB to my iMac as the Zoom + it's a bit of an handful to import/export presets or edit them via the iMac & as far as i could determine, one needs a MIDI to USB interface & you need a program someone made ( NOT TC.. ) as mentioned here : [url="http://forum.tcelectronic.com/topic/8264/nova-editor/"]http://forum.tcelect...64/nova-editor/[/url] to do any of the above + update the Nova's firmware, etc….[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]now, what i would like was to get something which would work BOTH as a MIDI to USB interface between the TC Elec. Nova & my iMac AND would act as a regular audio/USB interface to allow me to record[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]can anyone PLEASE shed some light on what would be a NICE MIDI to USB & audio to USB interface ? i know NOTHING about MIDI, am dreading dealing with it but can't help feel that if it's the only way to access my Nova's well….what can i do ?[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i just want a gizmo i can plug my Nova into it's MIDI, then plug into my iMac via USB to import/export, edit, reorder my presets & when all that is done, use as a simple audio to USB interface to record my stuff[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]PLEASE write your answers as if addressing an idiot because, that's pretty much how it is …LOL…i'm at a TOTAL LOSS HERE & any help/suggestions WILL BE most appreciated[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]thank you very much for your time & patience[/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Nuno[/font][/color]

Hi CD David many thanks for your compliment !! that ReBop is a beauty isn't it ? but that 8 string of yours left me watering 'cause on top of it, i love to play the bass with chords so given the clarity/definition AND punch of mine, your 8 string must sound ABSOLUTELY fantastic with all the harmonic content of both the low & higher strings ringing…. would ''chime like'' be an apropriate description ? oh man, i just got goosebumps just imagining it's sound & figuring out the wording for it !!….

[quote name='cd_david' timestamp='1397647265' post='2425964'] [url="http://s519.photobucket.com/user/cd_david/media/Basses%20To%20View/186A56D7-91FA-4141-AB4C-89A6ACC92E3A_zps8pqd1cwg.jpg.html"][/url] L-R 8 String Legend Prototype, NS CR5, Euro 5LX, Euro 4LX TW [/quote] OH…..MY…..GOODNESS ! that 8 string must be……... let it be publicly AND officially known that i HATE YOU !!!

FINALLY !! just got my 2nd hand but brand spanking new ReBop 4DLX EX today & WOW ! it's way more than i bargained for : upgraded EMG pickups ( which ones ? haven't looked round their back yet.. ) EMG BQC preamp at 18V… when i plugged it in i was simply blown away ! my goodness, the punch, the grunt !! it resonates, sings, zings & exudes harmonics through each & every pore, i'm gasping for words !! i had never even held a Spector in my hands let alone play one but now….well, now i can see what the fuss is all about - i LOVE MY REBOP !! only one problem though : if this is what a ''lowly'' ReBop can do, oh boy, i can only imagine what one of those top of the line, Made in the US can do.. oh my….could it be i've just come down with an acute case of ''Spectoritis'' ??

Hi Cetera & thanks for your compliment !! i guess to know for sure which pickups they are, i'll have to lift one & see under it or so…. can't wait to get my dirty paws on it !!

Hi guys i'm VERY excited 'cause these past couple of weeks i've been negotiating the purchase of a Spector ReBop 4LX EX !! the bass is a 2008 model, GORGEOUS Zebrawood body & has ''souped-up'' EMG electronics. better yet, yesterday we finally agreed on a price &………….next monday i'm going up to Lisbon by train to pick it up IT IS love !! since i have never even held a Spector in my hands let alone play one….. as you can imagine while the negotiating bit was going on, i googled up EVERYTHING available online about Spectors but still i can't pinpoint what EMG components this bass has - could you guys maybe shed some light on it ? here are a few photos of my ''new'' baby : sorry but because i ALWAYS get a msg saying : ''…an error occurred - you are not allowed to use that image extension on this community…'' when i try to insert a photo from Flickr, i'll just post the link to the Flickr page & you'll have to scroll through, OK ? http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/13462647334/in/set-72157643047084665 the preamp seems to be an EMG BQC, only running on 2 X 9V batteries, the pickups definitely don't look like the standard issue EMG 35HZ - any clues ? thanks

Hi Bert youngest cousin of Odin !! i'm glad you liked it & you're VERY welcome ! ;-) if you buy the GB35 & you do not intend on changing the electronics for something else, make sure you are NOT getting an older model which comes equipped with MightyMite pickups - those are not banal, those are really crappy !! not every webshop states it clearly - i wonder why !? :-b ... - so make sure you ask them BEFORE you order & preferably pay via Paypal - this way if they send you a MinghtyMite job you can EASILY get your money back, they won't even dare try to hustle you or Paypal WILL refund you straightaway after you complain to them just make sure to keep all emails between you & vendor.. one last thing, although it's made of ''Agathis'' ( exotic sounding name for a cheap oriental pine variety, hence part of the weight..) the bass does sound very nice unplugged so the basis IS there to get a wonderful sound given good quality electronics personally i went with Delanos because : 1 - i love a few Sandberg models which have that EXACT pickup configuration 2 - it was a cheap way to have a ''Sandbort'' 3 - the difficulty of finding that big humbucker pickup elsewhere - there are other brands but the dimensions are not EXACTLY the same so some wood routing might be involved now....about your Fodera.....i wouldn't mind trading it for my GB35 & would even offer to pay for postage - how cool is that ?....LOL....all jokes aside, those Fodera basses MUST be something else, i have never even held one in my hand, let alone play one but i sure would like to :-b oh well, just keep on playing your bass, preferably loud.. - your neighbours WILL LOVE you for it ! i KNOW mine do..... ;-) OK, time to hit the pool & then have some lunch.... cheers N

hi Bert the Cort GB35 is a VERY underrated bass which you can buy for PEANUTS & as far as i was concerned, after much researching online, it was a perfect way to try a good quality build 5 string bass without breaking the bank mine being a shop demo model ( it had a 2mm scratch by the jack, invisible if you didn't know..) cost me 279euros, postage from Germany to Portugal INCLUDED & 3 years warranty !! from Session.de if interested... now, it's a tad on the heavy side of things, the neck is wide as is the string spacing at the bridge & it's a fairly ''physical'' bass to play which might not suit everyone but is something i actually enjoy. dimensions aside, the neck is absolutely GREAT, with a QUALITY feel throughout 45mm at the nut, 75mm down at last fret, the bass weighs 4,5kg ( in a bathroom scale..) has a 34'' scale & mine has a gorgeous, VERY well done classic three tone sunburst i found the instrument itself ( body, neck, fretwork, extremely well balanced, etc, etc...) SO VERY NICE that i felt it was worth upgrading it's electronics which was the only ...how shall i put it ? they were not bad just.... banal ? you know what i mean ? no extraneous noises, no harshness, hum or anything, just uninspiring.. so, as soon as i could & after much Googling, YouTubing & pestering people on bass forums i subscribe to AND a chat with Mr. Jedamzik at Delano, i ordered a set of custom made Delano pickups ( custom made because of wide neck/string spacing at bridge..) & a Delano Sonar 2 preamp mind you, these cost MORE than the bass BUT after installing those.......the bass simply ''blossomed'' into a totally different, MUCH, MUCH better instrument. bass & electronics total cost so far ? roughly 575euros !!....now, call me crazy if you want but i truly feel it compares favourably to many 900 to 1000euro basses - EASILY !! a very important thing : after playing with them for a while, i changed the original strings for a set of Ken Smith Burners w/ a tapered B string ( 130..) did a set/up to it & this gave a B string a MUCH BETTER feel & definition to it's sound the only ''problem'' ( for snobs at least.. ) is that it lacks the ''brand name'' on the headstock but in my book that's actually a good thing : you can go do a gig, leave it on stage, go have a drink & when you come back it will be there waiting.... ;-) have a look here, in the second photo it was still standard, on the 5th photo it already has the Delano stuff : http://www.flickr.com/photos/13706825@N03/sets/72157634616940511/ if curious how it sounds, i uploaded a while ago a few ''sketches'' i made in GarageBand, it's all played on the GB35 for bass line, a few chords & a bit of a solo, through a Zoom B3 w/ a tad of compression & a slight touch of effects here & there. please disregard the BASIC drum beats ( Zoom B3..) & a few mistakes, these recordings are only meant for me not to forget the basic bass line & such : https://soundcloud.com/nuno1959-1/trapezoid https://soundcloud.com/nuno1959-1/metal-2-70bpm-lick here you can hear the B string ( w/ a bit os bass synth from the Zoom B3..) + the chords made on the GB35 https://soundcloud.com/nuno1959-1/tchan-tchan-2 hope this answered your question, have a great week-end & if you do get a GB35, enjoy it. personally, right after sending you this i feel like going to play it !! ...LOL...

did anyone mention Motorcycles & Basses in the same sentence ? & all this while i was searching for Jazz Bass stacked knobs for a Squier VM Fretless & Glockenklang pre !? i must've died & gone to heaven..... ;-)

hi iiipopes yup, that's what i'm doing these days - rolling off slightly 1 of the vol pots, sometimes even just playing with the bridge PU, it just puzzled me since i NEVER played a J-Bass before & jumped to the conclusion SOMETHING was wrong!! :-b thanks for chipping in ;-)

hi guys just to say that after fitting a new set of strings ( D'Addario half-rounds.. ) & fooling around setting the pickup's heights, the bass does sound better. next i'll look into a cap of the correct value/type & a better quality output jack i REALLY like this bass & having had the chance of ''digging in'' quite a bit these last few days, now i find the others too rough !...LOL...their strings hurt my fingers ! yup, i'm a p***y alright !!...LMAO... thanks to all for chipping in

a different production run hence different finishing touches perhaps ? i have NO CLUE what year is mine...

Hi John wow !! thank you VERY much for the offer but while i really appreciate it, i'd be more than happy & satisfied if you just gave me the right specs/brand for the cap - with that in hand i can hit up my friend at the music store & he'll get those easily for me for next to nothing, you know what i mean ? yes, the foil over the metal control plate struck me as odd but since it was sloppy & will all be redone w/ graphite paint anyway, i didn't pay too much attention to it. same for the knobs, at first i thought it was just part of the ''cheapness'' of the bass's manufacture but as you say nothing an extra nut won't solve as for the jack socket you are absolutely right, it IS a VERY crappy little number : when i played the bass the first few times i accidentally touched the chord/jack & it did cut out the signal momentarily & i'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with my chords - i make them myself, only use Klotz cables & Neutrik jacks & they've NEVER let me down before... thing is, among the several things that have been crossing my mind to do to this bass ( i'm a hopeless tinkerer & a new bass to me is just one more list of endless, fun possibilities ;-) .. ) one i think i will most definitely do is to remove the jack from the control plate & drill a hole on the side of it's body to mount a new, high quality jack/jack plate as on my other basses this, together w/ my angled Neutrik plug, my Schaller Strap Locks AND the way i ''wrap'' a loop on the cable to reinforce it were it goes over the StrapLock works VERY nicely not only to keep the cable out of the way but to prevent it getting sheared over the StrapLock if accidentally pulled, stepped on, etc.. you mentioned Switchcraft, how do they compare to Neutrik stuff ? as good ? better ? although Neutrik has always been my ''safety blanket brand'', i'm always open to new stuff & could try that... but it DOES work + it would leave me an extra hole in the control plate to maybe rewire the whole thing differently ? at this point it's all in the realm of possibilities & i still have to go through my usual process of learning about it, selection & elimination before i decide what i'll actually do isn't this all a bit convoluted ? slightly paranoid ? yup that's me alright !!....LOL.... when in doubt, over-engineer it to death & you'll be OK !! & this is one more reason why nice, cheap basses can be so much fun for me !! ;-)

for now i must confess i'm tempted by the preamp thing too & i might look into some PU's later, not that these don't sound nice but i'm used to quieter PU's without any hum/buzzes & so on...